Redwood City, CA - September 20, 2004 - - Back by popular demand, RethinkWaste is teaming up with its member communities, including Redwood City, to give away compost on Saturday, October 9, 2004. The compost is made from yard trimmings collected at the curb from communities every other week, and composted at a nearby composting facility. Residents in the communities of Redwood City, Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Fair Oaks, Foster City, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and San Mateo may take up to 1 cubic yard of compost (about six full garbage cans) at no charge at selected locations while supplies last. Proof of residency is required.

For a complete list of the locations of all member communities’ free compost giveaway, please visit Rethink Waste . In Redwood City, the free compost will be provided at the Public Works Services parking lot, 1400 Broadway, between the hours of 8 am and 12 noon.

Compost is the result of nature decomposing organic materials into a dark, nutrient-rich soil. The compost is ideally used as an amendment to enrich soil. By applying compost to landscaping and mixing it with soil, people put organic resources into the soil, providing a non-chemical alternative to fertilizers.

Not only is curbside yard trimming collection available to residents for large-scale composting, but backyard and worm composting are additional options. Free home composting workshops and reduced-priced bins are available through RecycleWorks, a program of the County of San Mateo.

The South Bayside Waste Management Authority/RethinkWaste is a regional agency, formed in 1982 to help local communities manage and reduce waste. To learn more about SBWMA / RethinkWaste, see www.rethinkwaste.org.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business.